A Guide for the Journey

Many of us in the West try to travel a spiritual path by exploring all kinds of approaches. One of the dangers of having no guide to focus that process for us is that we can have a great breadth of knowledge but no depth of insight or experience. This can lead to a grandiosity that assumes that we have great spiritual understanding when, in fact, it is rather limited. One of the hazards of our Western individualism is that we are often reluctant to take advice from others. When we can, however, with skillful support, our journey does become easier as we are guided in the dark. We may feel held in a way that enables us to open to our true nature. We will also discover that there is no contradiction between finding a guide on our journey and the continuing need to individuate. There is no inherent contradiction unless the guides we choose have a tendency to hold us back and disempower rather than liberate us. Regrettably, this can sometimes be the case, but if we grow to trust our inner wisdom, even this need not be an obstacle.

Rob Preece
from The Wisdom of Imperfection; The Challenge of Individuation in Buddhist Life
Chapter: The Guide